Adjustable dress form



A. D. BAILEY ADJUSTABLE DRE'S S FORM Fileii Oct 3 vwewtoz reamed Mar. c.1923.

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ANNA DEANE BAILEY, or nnw YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE DRESS FORM.

Application filed October 24, 1921. Serial No. 509,970.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA DEANE BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borou h of Manhattan, in the city, county, and fitate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Adjustable Dress Forms, of'which the following is a specification. Q

This invention relates to improvements in dress forms and has for its principal object the provision of a dress form so constructed that it may be readily made to accurately' assume the size and shape of bodies of widely varied size and conformation;

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a dress form having a rigid supporting structure and a thick covering of easily compressible but resilient material which may be compressed within a fitted lining and thereby be made to assume the exact form and dimensions of the person for whom the fitted lining was made. The fitted'lining is first cut and formed to the exact dimensions of the person for whom the dressis to be used. This fitted lining is then secured tightly around the dress form either by lacing or otherwise, the compressible material yielding throughout the entire surface of the form and holding the fitted lining extended and completely filling the fitted lining and bearing thereon smoothly and with some tension. A dress form thus constructed is smooth throughout its entire surface and will conform exactly to the shape of the fitted lining or pattern. j r

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dress form constructed in accordance with this invention and having a fitted lining or pattern secured thereto and covering only the upper part thereof;

Fig. 2 a Wertical central sectional view of the dress form, the upper part ofthe form being compressed to the desired shape by the fitted lining or pattern and the lower part being compressed into shape by a lining or shaping means, such as the corset of the person for whom it is designed;

Fig. 3 a horizontal sectional view of the dress form taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 a detail rear view of the neck por tion of the form; and

Fig. 5 a detail view showing an arm attachment designed to serve as a sleeve form.

Referring to the various parts by nu merals, 1 designates the interior rigid frame or shell of the dress form. This shell or 6 frame may be of any suitable construction and of any suitable material. As shown, it is a rigid shell in the shape of a dress form, but of considerably smaller dimensions than the completed form. To this rigid shell or frame is secured, in; any suitable manner, a thick covering of soft, cellular, resilient material 2. This material may be of any suitable thickness, preferably aninch and a half or two inches.

It may be secured to the shell or frame in sections, either horizontally or vertically arranged, with the edges of the sections fitted closely together and preferably fastened so as to leave no spaces between them. The exterior surface of this soft, resilient material conforms to the shape of an ordinary dress form and in its normal and fully expanded position ,is considerably larger than it is intended to be when in use. The purpose of this is to enable the dress form to be contracted to a considerable extent in order to give it the desired shape and configuration. In practice it has been found that the ordinary commercial form of soft, cellular, sponge rubber gives satisfactory results. In the use of this material the edges of the sections are cemented or glued together by a suitable cement in order to make the surface continuous and smooth. The soft cellular material is self sustaining, elastic and cohesive. It is readily compressible and yieldable laterally. The inner surface of thematerial is connected to the inner form, and the material as a body is not shiftable or movable relatively to the inner form, so that when the exterior pressure is removed the elastic and resilient material will return to its normal standard form.

In. the use of a dress form of this con struction a fitted lining 3 of inelastic, fleXible fabric is first made. This lining should fit and conform exactly to the person for whom the dress form is to be used. This fitted lining is preferably split along one side from one armhole to the waistline as at i and the two edges are laced together as at 5 to squeeze the fitted lining around the dress form. *When the fitted lining is laced about the dress form the soft, resilient covering, is compressed to the interior dimensions of the fitted lining, this fitted lining constituting a pattern casing. It is manifest that the soft, compressible material will fill the pattern casing and distend it in all directions smoothly and conform precisely to the interior shape of said pattern casing. As

shown in Fig.1, the pattern casing extends. .only to the waistline of the dress form.

It is manifest, however, that it may be made longer if desired and extended down over the hip portion of the dress form. l Vhen a short pattern casing is used, the lower portion of the form may be compressed and shaped by lacing about it the corset of the person for Whom the dress form is to be used. In-Fig.2tlieupper part of the dress form is shaped by means of the pattern casing 3 while the lower part is shown as compressed into shape by a corset 3. It is manifest that the corset may be of any suitable construction.

, As shown in Fig. 3 the pattern casing is split from both armholes down to the waist line" and both said separate portions are laced together. It is manifest that thepattern casing may be split only atone side or at both sides as desired.

The neck portion 6 of, the dress form is vertically split at the rear, as at 7, and the edges of said split portion are laced together as shownat 8 in Fig. i. By this means the neck portion of the form may be eom n'essed to the proper neck dimensions. The entire resilient and compressible portion of the dress form is preferably covered by a thin, soft fabric covering 9 to give a smooth exterior (finish to the surface of the cellular material and to prevent the accumulation of dust in said material.

Extending through the body of the dress form and projecting from the arm portions thereof are two strings or cords 9-. An arm section 10 is provided, said arm section 0011- 'tion is provided with two strings or cords 13 which extend through one end thereof and are adapted to be tied to the strings 9 to secure the arm section to the shoulder portion of the form. The pattern casing or fitted lining may be provided with sleeve sections adapted to be passed over the arm sections 10 in order to compress said arm sections to the proper arm dimensions. This will enablethe sleeves to be properly fitted over the arm sections at the shoulders of the dress form. v

vVhat I claim is: r

1. An adjustable dress form comprising an inner support, a covering of soft self sustaining inherently resilient elastic, cellular and cohesive material secured to said support and having a permanent normal shape and dimensions, and a flexible pattern casing adapted to be removably secured around the said form to compress the resilient material and cause it to yieldingly fill the pattern casing and distend it in all directions, whereby when said casing is removed the resilient elastic mass will expand and return to its normal standard shape and dimensions.

2. An adjustable dress form comprising an inner support, a covering of soft self sustaining inherently resilient elastic, cellular readily compressible and cohesive material secured to said support and having a permanent normal shape and dimensions.

3. An adjustable dress form. comprising an inner support, a covering of soft self sustaining inherently resilient elastic readily compressibleand cohesive material secured to said support and having a permanent normal shape and dimensions.

4:. An adjustable dressform comprising an inner support, a covering ofv soft selfsustaining inherently resilient elastic, cellular and cohesive thick sheet material secured to said support and having a permanent normal shape and dimensions.

5. An adjustable dress form comprising hesive and self-sustaining material of permanent normal shape anddimensions.

6. An adjustable dress form comprising an inner rigid form, and a covering of readily compressible inherently resilient elastic cohesive and self-sustaining cellular materail of permanent normal shape and dimensions.

7. An adjustable dress form comprising an inner support, a covering of soft self-sus taining inherently resilient elastic,' cellular and cohesive sponge rubber secured to said support and having a permanent normal shape and dimensions.

8. An adjustable dress form comprising an inner support, a covering of soft self .sustaining inherently resilient elastic, cellular and cohesive material secured to said support and having a permanent normal shape and dimensions, the inner surfaceof said material being secured to the inner support whereby the said material may be compressed and' distorted laterally by pressure applied externally but will return to its normal shape and dimensions when said pressure is removed;

9.An adjustable dress form comprising an inner form, a covering of readily com pressible inherently resilient elastic cohesive and self-sustaining material having permanent normal shape and dimensions, and a flexible pattern casing adapted to be remov- 10 ably secured around the said form to comi press the resilient material and cause it to 'yieldingly fill the pattern casing and distend ANNA DEANE BAILEY. 

